Lion-hearted
by WhitePantherLance
Summary: Annie captures Eren, and takes him away while Reiner and Bertholdt distract the Legion. Bit of an AU and one shot. Enjoy. Eren x Annie.
1. Chapter 1: Prisoner and Jailer

**So, Authors Note, first off. **

**I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin nor any of the characters. I just decided to write this pairing for fun.**

**So, Eren and Annie I feel is more accurate than Mikasa and Eren right now, with both Mikasas and Erens mental states factored in. Plus, with Episode 21 out, I'm on an Annie and Eren ship right now. Enjoy!  
Eren was captured by Annie (he's in her mouth cough cough wink wink), and Reiner and Bertholdt are distracting the Scouting Legion. A bit of a one shot/alternate universe. Enjoy!  
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Eren woke up, feeling the steam and heat all around him. Raising his head, he saw the teeth in front of him, and then it came back to him. The Female Titan…he cursed profusely and attempted to raise his arms. He was too tired, though. Struggling to move around in the Titans mouth was tricky, especially when he felt something wet and sticky wriggling underneath him…looking down, he realized he was lying on her tongue. He looked at the teeth in front of him, then aimed a feeble kick at the cheek. However, it did nothing, and his head sank back to the ground in frustration. He thought furiously.

I was in the forest, fighting the Female Titan. Then something crystal blue flashed before my eyes, and I couldn't see anymore. He remembered the brief searing pain at his neck, and then…nothing. Eren sighed in frustration, then stopped when his throat flared in pain. He attempted to swallow, only to find his mouth contained no saliva. He was terribly thirsty, and the oppressive heat only made his thirst that much worse. He also noticed the steady pounding of feet against ground, and wondered idly where they were going before he fell back to asleep.

Sometime later, Eren woke up again to a flash of light, and realized the teeth in front of him were opening up. He scrambled backwards quickly but to no avail, for the Female Titan reached in and pinched him firmly, but gently, between her thumb and forefinger. She proceeded to drag him out, and then set him down on the ground. Eren started to scramble backwards and made to run away, but the giant caught him easily, dragging him backwards.  
"Let go of me!" Eren screamed in rage as he raised his thumb, but the Female Titan caught him easily. She took his arm, and proceeded to break it. Eren screamed at the snap and twisting of bone, and she proceeded to break all his other limbs as well. Eventually, Eren stopped squirming, and just lay there,cursing at the Titan,

"You fucking bitch…you killed Petra…Auruo…Eldo…and Gunther…only to capture me? Go to hell!" Eren screamed in vain when he noticed something. The Female Titan had stopped moving. Then he saw the steam emerging from the Titans neck, and a small, figure popping out from it. The figure half wrenched herself out of the Titans nerves, and slid down the back to the ground, stumbling a bit. As the figure rounded the edge of the now decaying corpse, Erens eyes widened. The person inside the Female Titan, the only who had killed the Levi Squad…was none other than Annie Leonhardt. His eyes widened in shock, and then anger surfaced on his face. The same blinding, maddening anger whenever he saw his comrades die, knowing it was his fault. Only difference was, now he knew he'd been betrayed.  
He started to curse violently, when he noticed the tire stagger to Annies walk. She was struggling to stand, and despite what she had just done, Eren couldn't help but sympathize with her. Annie finally walked over to him, and then slowly reached down.

"Annie…why? Why did you do it? Why did you betray us…the human race, everyone who believed in you, your comrades? Why kill them, only to capture me?" He looked at her with questioning eyes, the hate tempered by the sadness. She only spared him a glance from her half lidded, ice blue eyes. She wrapped her arms under his back, and lifted him onto her shoulders. She then walked into a building, a small farmhouse, and laid him down on the counter. She left the room without saying a word, and then returned carrying some bandages, to which Eren did not expect. He asked her the question,

"What are those for?" She looked at him with a serious look, then sighed slightly.

"These are for your wounds. Are you really such an idiot that you have to ask?" Her voice, despite the condescending words, did not change at all from its usual cold tone. Eren shut up quickly, and Annie took the bandages, and not too gently, started setting the bones. Eren watched her work, noticing the precision with which her fingers worked, and how they delicately wrapped the bandages around the straightened limbs. She, after a short time, was done and Eren felt marginally better, almost enough to thank her. Almost, but not quite, for she was the one who gave these wounds to him in the first place. She eventually sat down in a chair, and wiped her forehead slightly. She then stood up, and said,  
"Time for bed, Eren. We have an early day tomorrow."

She picked him up again, and Eren could feel her strength supporting him as she lifted him to walk down a whole flight of stairs into the ground. Eventually, they stumbled into a room, where she struck a match and lit a torch, then placed it in a holder on the wall. Taking a coil of rope from the floor, she placed his arms behind him, and bound him. She did the same with his feet, and Eren protested,

"Why are you doing this? I can't exactly run away with my legs the way they are now."  
Annie replied,

"Because your legs won't stay that way. They are growing to grow back, and if they do in the middle of the night, you would have a small, frail girl like me at a clear disadvantage, wouldn't you?"

Eren would have thought her words were coy, if not for the cool expression on her face and eyes. He grunted a small acknowledgement, and then looked around. He realized he was lying on the only bed in the room.

"So…wait. Where are you going to sleep?"

A small hint of a smile tugged at Annies lips, and she gestured to the bed.

"There's only one bed, Eren."

Her simple statement explained itself, and soon Eren saw her take off her maneuverial gear and her jacket, as well as the armor underneath, dousing the torch, and then he felt something small rustle into bed next to him. Despite himself, despite how angry he was, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable at the situation. Sighing, he rolled over with his back to her and soon fell asleep.

**Authors Note:  
Okay, so please rate/review, tell me what you think of the chapter. Should I continue writing, or this is a complete flop? Hope you enjoyed, cheers, mates. **


	2. Chapter 2: Ice and Fire

Eren woke up in the middle of the night, blinking groggily. He blinked his eyes rapidly, attempting to clear the sleep and then remembered where he was. His arms hurt from the bindings, and then he realized something small was pressed into his back. Twisting his head around, he could barely see the pale glimmer of Annies hair in the dark room. He realized she had slid next to him in the night, and was sleeping peacefully. Eren watched her for a bit, noticing the gentle sensation of her breath on his back, and he frowned.  
How can someone who has done what she has done, sleep so peacefully? He wondered. Petras face flashed before his eyes, and he slid away from Annie, pressing himself against the wall. At the sudden movement, Annie took a sudden intake of breath, and then rolled over to the other side of the bed. Eren sighed in frustration, then again laid his head back down to rest and quickly fell back to sleep.

The second time he woke up, a faint light shone in from the stair case, and he found he could see much better than in the night. When he rolled over, he was surprised by bumping into Annie. She was still sleeping, and he froze in anticipation. However, she did not wake up, and instead only slid closer to him, nearly resting her head on his chest. Eren looked down at her soft blonde hair, the way her expression seemed so peaceful, childlike almost. The steady and soft rise and fall of her lips as they breathed entranced him slightly, and the eyelids hid the cold icy eyes, making her seem almost…innocent. Even through all that happened, Eren smiled slightly. Sleep, he knew, was the one thing that removed all troubles. Annie eventually stirred, and her blue eyes gradually flickered open. She stretched, and then seemed to realize where she was. She sat up quickly, and swung her legs off the bed.

"Sleep well?" Eren teased slightly, hoping to get a few good jibes in. However, Annie was not to be baited. She simply ignored him, and climbed the stairs, disappearing from his sight. Eren, annoyed, attempted to stand up only to end up sliding and falling off the bed. He swore as his head slammed against the ground, and he lay there, stunned for a bit. After a couple of minutes simply lying there, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and he saw Annie standing there, a slightly confused or amused look on her face.

"What did you do?" Annie said coldly, though with a hint of amusement.

Erens face burned in embarrassment, and he snapped back,

"I tried to stand up. It wouldn't be a problem, if someone hadn't tied up my legs."

"I can't take chances with you, Eren. You're stupid enough to try something, no matter the odds. Don't get me wrong, that's admirable, but it's also foolish."

Annie walked over to him and hoisted him back onto the bed. Once he was lying down again, he noticed the jar filled with what looked like meat on the ground beside Annie, along with a plate. There was also a loaf of bread, too. She picked up the jar, popped off the cap, and took out some of the meat and placed it on the plate. She then ripped off a piece of bread, and added it to the food as well. She then picked up a piece of meat, and held it up to Eren, waiting.

"Eat." She said curtly, and waited for him to react.

"I can feed myself!" He protested, and closed his mouth stubbornly. However, she only pinched his nose, cutting off his air supply. He struggled, squirming and moaning slightly, as he eventually opened his mouth to take in breath. She, however, quickly placed the meat in between his mouth and then released his nose, forcing him to chew. Eren fixed her with a glare, but she ignored, only going to repeat the process. She kept taking the meat with her fingers, and despite Erens face felt hot in shame, he continued to eat. Eventually, there was nothing left of the meat, and she took the bread, and ripped off a chunk before placing it into his mouth. She continued to do so until he was all fed, then she wiped her hands against her pants, and stood up.

"Now, we're leaving. I have a horse ready."

Eren raised his eyebrow, and he said,

"You're prepared for this, aren't you? How long did you plan to kidnap me? Did anything of our camaraderie, our oaths and loyalty, mean anything to you? Or was it all an act, a lie?"

His voice dripped with scorn and anger, and something else…betrayal. As his words hung in the air, Annie stopped. She slowly turned around, and looked at him with furious eyes. She then walked towards him, glaring down at him murderously.

"You don't know anything about me, or what I went through. Don't pretend you do." With that she drew a knife out of her boot and stepped towards him menacingly, and Eren scrambled backwards, the words stop issuing out of his mouth nearly incoherently. Oh, crap, is she going to murder me right here? he thought. However, she only knelt down on one knee, and sliced the ropes bounding his legs.

"Now get up. We've got to move."

Perplexed, Eren stood up and walked up the stairs, taking a few unsteady steps at first. As his legs regained feeling, he eventually stepped up into the house. Annie was waiting for him impatiently, arms crossed. Once she saw him, she walked outside, and he unsteadily followed, navigating the unfamiliar room. When he finally walked outside, the day was bright. He also saw Annie, standing by a horse the color of midnight, holding the reins gently. She gestured for him to come closer, and he stopped.

"What now?"

"Get on. We're going for a ride."

Eren gestured to his bounds and hands, and Annie sighed.

"Give yourself a boost, and I'll do the rest."

Eren jumped up slightly, then he felt hands pushing him onto the horses saddle. Soon, Annie leaped up in front of him onto the saddle, taking a hold of the reins. She looked back at him, and sighed when she saw his arms. She drew her knife, slashed the ropes around his arms, but left his hands bound.

"Now, hold onto me, if you don't want to fall off. And get closer, we don't have much room on this horse."

Eren began to protest, but with a snap of the reins Annie set the horse at a quick gallop and he slid his arms around her pretty quick, and pressed close to her. Slightly uncomfortable, he shifted around awkwardly in his seat, but held on tightly to Annies waist. The pounding of the horses hooves was the only noise that filled the air for a while, as Annie steered the horse first this way, then that. Eventually, after a little while of uncomfortable silence, Eren spoke up again, an earnest tone in his voice. He was sick of being kept in the dark, and not knowing anything. This time, he truly wanted to know.

"Annie, why did you do this? What happened to you to make you change? For so many years, we worked, cried, and sweated together? We trusted you, all of us. I'm angry at you, and I don't even really know why. I don't know why I'm angry, or why you did this. Tell me why, Annie. Just why."

Annie tensed up underneath his arms, and he could see her knuckles grow white as she gripped the reins even harder. They rode for a little while longer in silence, until finally Annie stopped the horse at a flat plain. She dismounted, and then helped Eren down, keeping a firm grip on his waist as he slid down. Finally, she spoke,

"Because I am weak, Eren." He began to protest, but she cut him off with a wave in dismissal. "I don't have the strength you possess, and I'm just another frail, weak human trying to find a way to survive this cruel world. You've always been possessed by that radical sense of purpose, and despite its flaws, you've been more lucky than you could imagine. But the people like us, the ones who cowered in the shade of stronger people like you, we had no other way to survive. Call us what you will: cowards, weaklings, traitors. We are all those. But you could never understand us. You could never understand our pain and our suffering that we went through. Don't pretend to."

Eren stood up, and clenched his fist in anger. He breathed in heavily, panting, the same berserk look he always had in his eyes whenever he was angry. He stepped towards her, and lowered his head to her level, and rested his forehead on hers, forcing her to look him in his eyes, the ice of hers against the burning fire within his.

"You call me stronger. You don't understand the fear I felt as you were chasing me, then. When I saw you running after me, the way your eyes shone when I met them, I was afraid. I thought I would die there, and I very nearly gave up what was most dear to me. The trust in my comrades, in my friends who would stand by me. But you know what, Annie?" His voice took on a venomous and angry edge, but he didn't let her go. "You killed them, my comrades. We had spoken mere moments before, and they had urged me to not turn into a Titan, to not try to fight since they didn't know if I could defeat you. Instead, they protected me and shielded me. I had such faith in them, and you killed them. Can you imagine how weak I felt? Here I was, with the power to fight you, and I let my comrades die. I should have stood up, fought you together with them, and we would have been able to kill you. But now, they lie all dead in that damned forest, because of you. And the worst part is…" Here, his voice took on a pained tone, and he looked away, as if he was saying something vulgar. "I can't blame you for it, for I've killed too. I've killed men, men who were attempting to make a living, and in cold blood. I did not feel bad after their deaths for I felt they deserved it. Yes, my comrades on that field died in a horrible way, and I cannot forgive you for it. But I shall not hate you for it either, for I would have done the same, if they were in my way."

And with that, another tear rolled down Erens face as he stepped back from Annie and walked away, fist clenched in a burning rage and…shame.

**Authors Note**

**So, definitely more emotional and a lot more dialogue than in the last one. Still a bit short, but as I get more and more into the story, these chapters will become longer and longer. I'm also using the technique of leaving it at an influential moment, to increase anticipation and give you guys more feels. Again, please review and tell me what you think. Cheers! **


	3. Chapter 3: Make water

Annie watched him go, one fist clenched and the other grasping the reins of the horse like a lifeline. I can't go on like this, she thought. She led the horse over to a tree, and tied the reins to a thick branch, but Erens words kept on repeating over and over again in her head. _I've killed men, men who were attempting to make a living, in cold blood. I did not feel bad after their deaths for I felt they deserved it. _Those words kept ringing in her head, almost like the words her father had said to her…to make enemies of the world. She thought back to those time when he had said that to her…when she had left him. From then on, she had lived by those words. She had resisted being a soldier, always working on her own…but Eren had burned right through her cold demeanor. His strength, the passion for his cause, his crusade to kill the Titans. She had seen the normal humans who lived in the walls, cowering, timid creatures who never even bothered to think of stepping outside the walls. Some of them could barely be called human. Yet, Eren was running along nearly always at a suicidal pace, always running to break free of the wall…not only the physical Wall, but the mental ones placed on him. Always raging, fighting against the fear of the Titans, she admired him for that. She had seen the normal ones, and she knew if she had lived a normal life and she had a normal life, she'd probably be exactly like them. Living a normal life, flirting with whatever boy that caught her eye, buying dresses, working hard to earn a living, and enjoying the safety of the walls. But she wasn't that person…she was who she was, and she would go on living like that.

Annie took a mental step back, and cleared her head of the conflicting thoughts and feelings. She finished tying the horse, and then fetched some food from the saddle bags, and stepped up to Eren. She dropped a bag of food by him, then knelt down. She slowly fed him again, keeping her fingers clear of his mouth. He ignored except when he took a bite, the only reaction he gave was a glare. When she was done, she stepped off a little distance and ate, keeping a close eye on Eren. She knew with all that had just been said, he could try to escape. Yet, she knew he couldn't yet, for his hands were bound and he couldn't bite them to shift into a Titan. Even if he did, she would stop him quicker than he could finish. Finished eating, she sat back against the tree and watched him. He was still pointedly glaring away from her, but she wondered whether it was from hurt, betrayal…or hate. He had said he would not hate her. But would he keep to his word?

Finally, after enough time had passed, Annie stood again and walked over to Eren.

"It's time to go. We still have a long ways to go to the next safe house."

Eren merely rose in reply, and he walked over to the horse, ignoring her as he walked. She watched his back, and then him as he jumped up onto the horse. Finally, he acknowledged her and looked at her impatiently, waiting for her to mount the horse. She strode over, and then mounted the horse. She waited patiently as Eren again slid his arms around her waist, but he did not press close to her like last time. He had better maintain his balance, then. She did not want him falling off the horse, for then she would have to turn around.

She snapped the reins, and the horse set off at a full gallop. They rode for a while, and she could feel the unsteady bounce of Eren behind her as he attempted to maintain his balance. She respected him for his diligence, if nothing else. The silence stretched between them as they rode on, and eventually they came to the second safe house.

Eren dismounted as soon as they stepped off the horse, and he walked inside the house. She proceeded to feed the horse, and then tied it to a nearby tree. Annie walked inside, only to not see Eren anywhere. She walked downstairs, and saw him laying on the bed with his back to her, not even moving. She took a candle, knelt down, and then struck the match. She placed the lit candle in the holder upon the wall, then walked up the stairs. Once she was up the stairs, she stood there silently, seething with anger and…pain. She was hurt, and angry, and confused because of it. He was her enemy, and they had fought against each other. All this time she had been the partial cause of all his troubles, and she had done it without a second thought, then. But now…so why am I feeling so different? She thought. Why am I feeling bad for a boy whose entire life has been led being looked down on by those around but still foolishly wishes to protect them? What is the point to that? She shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts. He's an idiot, she finished. She took a loaf of bread and started slicing it, quickly carving the bread up into slices. She took the meat from the pantry, and checked that it was still fresh. Though she knew the supply shipments came through often, she still checked the meat to make sure. She sliced it up, and then walked down the stairs, carrying the bread and meat on the plate, and she set it beside Eren on the bed. She started to turn away, but then stopped. A single glistening tear at the edge of Erens cheek rolled off onto the sheets, and she began to turn away again to leave him his peace. However, then she noticed his expression…his lips were twisted in a grimace, and his hands were curled into tight fists. Annie looked down at him, and she walked away, only briefly stopping to blow out the candle.

As she was about to walk up the stairs, she looked back briefly over her shoulder and said,

"I'm sorry, Eren."

Then she walked up the stairs and out of sight.

Eren woke up, and noticed how dark it was outside. His head was pounding, and his heart was beating really fast. He tried to remember the dream he had been having…no, not dream, but nightmare. However, he couldn't remember it for anything. Ever since that weird dream about his father, he'd started having more and more, and he always woke up in a cold sweat and with the hint of fresh tears on his face. He always hurriedly wiped them off, and today was no different. Eren quickly hurried to wipe them off, when he noticed a pair of ice blue eyes in the corner. He cursed quietly to himself, and then sat up, holding his pounding head in between his hands. Annie stepped forward with a candle in her hands, and she lit it with a match. She set it down on the ground, then sat against the wall and looked at him, her half lidded gaze revealing nothing. Eren sat there and attempted to soothe the pounding in his head, and he only got progressively angrier the more Annie stayed quiet. Finally, he snapped out,

"What are you looking at?"

"How long have you been having those nightmares?" She said quietly, coldly, her voice revealing nothing.

"For a while now. Don't baby me, Mikasa does eno-" Eren quickly cut himself off as he realized what he had been about to say.

Annie raised her eyebrows questioningly, and the slight hints of a smile crept onto her face.

"What does Mikasa do enough of?" The tone in her voice was one he heard rarely, when she was only feeling playful enough. She stood up, walked over to him, and sat on the bed next to him, completely serious. She leaned in closer to him, the hints of a smile on her lips blossoming into a small one. It was very small, but it was a smile none the less. She looked at him almost coyly, and for a second she looked like a normal girl.

Eren blushed and leaned slightly away from her, feeling awkward and embarrassed at the sudden change of pace in mood. Annie, however, only leaned in closer and smiled at him, the gentle scent of her filling his nostrils.

"Imagine what Mikasa would think if she saw us here, all alone by the candelight, sharing the same bed…" She spoke quietly, in a gentle tone he had never heard her use before. However, Eren was shifting nervously at the tone she was using, and his brain felt like it was frozen in gear, refusing to work.

Annie leaned in even closer, her lips opening slightly, her moist tongue dampening her lips as she leaned in closer to Eren. Eren froze, leaned backwards, and attempted to scramble away from Annie…

Only to end up falling straight off the bed. When he got back up up, Annie had her normal placid expression on, but there was still some hint of amusement to her features, like she was trying not to laugh.

"What was that for?" Eren protested, pushing himself back up into a sitting position.

"It seems you haven't had much in the way of distractions." Annie simply stated.

Eren simply looked questioningly at her, and Annie responded,

"Nevermind. Go to bed."

Annie unfastened her boots and laid them down on the ground, and then took off her jacket, she unfastened her armor as well and then laid down, her back to Eren. He did the same, and then lied down with his back to her, and fell asleep.

Eren woke up later in the night, blinking wearily. Something was not right, and it was kicking him. He rolled over, only to see Annie was still asleep, but her foot was kicking him, and she kept rolling over from side to side. A nightmare, Eren thought. He grabbed Annie's shoulder and attempted to shake her awake, but she just continued rolling from side to side. A particularly hard kick landed on his shins, and Eren let out a grunt in pain. Finally, particularly irritated and tired, Eren lifted up his arms above her head, formed a hoop with the elbows, and slipped them around her, then drew her in close, and constrained her from kicking anymore. Finally, after a little struggle, she started to calm down…and then a peaceful expression fell over her face. Despite the fact she was asleep, she curled up closer to him, and her breathing eased and fell back into the regular rhythms of an un-interrupted sleep. She pressed even closer, her head resting against his arm, and her small body curled up close to him. He smiled, slightly, noticing how gentle and sweet she looked…then he checked himself at that thought. Petra, Eldo, Gunther, Auruo…their faces flashed before his eyes again. He looked down at Annie again, and saw the slight smile she hardly ever wore on her lips. He frowned, torn by indecision, knowing he had the change right now to easily snap her neck…but this thought, as easy as it would have been, felt wrong. He wouldn't do that now, when she was so meek…almost like a kitten. She could be a lioness in battle, but for now, she was just a helpless person who cried and had nightmares in the night like everyone else. There was something else about it…but he just couldn't put his finger on it as he slowly and gradually fell back to sleep.

Eren blinked with his eyes open in the morning, and saw Annie in his arms, looking at him with a slightly twinkle in her sparkling eyes. She had her fingers folded behind her head, and was lying on his arm contentedly, mere inches from his face. He started to lift his arms up from behind her, but she quickly caught them and put them back down behind her head.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to not disturb a girl when she's comfortable?" Annie's voice said coyly, laughing at him slightly. He noticed she laughed with her eyes, the slight crinkle at the edge and the small sparkle they took on.

"Well, no, I didn't have much experience with girls." Eren said, smiling sheepishly.

Annie's smile almost seemed to grow even wider.

"That would seem to explain a lot of things. Like how you're so clumsy. And foolish."

Eren started to protest, but Annie's look silenced him. It was soft and tender, much like he had seen last night.

"Thank you." She whispered. Her voice was small, soft, not the cold tone it normally was. Eren was taken aback slightly, then just nodded and said,

"No big deal. We're even now, anyways." Eren smiled back, and a bit of an awkward silence started to stretch between them. But just as Eren was about to get up, Annie quickly grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down, and Eren slammed back into the bed with an visible bounce. He rubbed his head from where he had hit the bed post, and began to protest, until he saw the position he was in. Annie was on her hands and knees above him, and she smiled aggressively. Her hair gently fell down on her shoulder and her eyes were glaring at him with a bright intensity he had never seen before. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Annie leaned down and kissed him, softly. Eren's eyes widened, and the feeling of Annie's soft lips against his deepened, as she kissed him a slight bit harder. She linked her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her, stroking his hair softly. Eren's eyes gradually closed, and he gradually began to kiss her back, feeling the soft skin on her lips against his, the gentle touch of her blonde hair against his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and Annie kissed him deeper, pressing against him desperately. Eventually, after a couple moments of this, they broke apart and Annie leaned back and looked down at him for a second, her expression typical except for the slight flush on her cheeks. Eren, meanwhile, was heaving for breath and was panting slightly. Annie looked down at him, amused, and said,

"Excited?" Eren only nodded in reply. "Well, now we're even. Time for breakfast, don't you think?"


End file.
